Sohrabuddin case: Geeta Johri accuses CBI of pressurising her

AHMEDABAD - Senior Gujarat Police officer Geeta Johri has accused the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of pressurising her to implicate some political leaders, including arrested former state Home Minister Amit Shah, in connection with the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case

In a curative petition filed with the apex court, she sought the removal of Balwinder Singh, CBI’s Special Director, who is supervising the investigation into the case.

She alleged she had been asked by CBI to depose in a particular manner in the case and that her personal assistant was threatened by the CBI.

The curative petition also challenged the apex court’s decision not to expunge adverse remarks made against her in the case.

The curative petition was filed after the Supreme Court had dismissed her petition seeking a review of the judgement in which adverse remarks were made against Johri while handing over the probe into the case to CBI from Gujarat police.

The investigating agency had summoned Johri, who is currently posted as Commissioner of Rajkot, to appear on August 10, but she had then requested for more time as she had returned from long leave.

In her request, Johri had said that since she has joined after a break she needed time to study the case.

The CBI had already questioned Johri twice before.

Johri, posted with CID (crime) between 2007 and 2009, was the supervising officer of the fake encounter probe. The ADGP is accused of conducting inadequate investigations.

Former state DGP, P C Pande was also summoned by the CBI, in the same case but he has not been able to appear before the agency as he was out of station.

After taking over the case from Gujarat CID in January, the CBI has arrested former Gujarat Home Minister Amit Shah, currently lodged in Sabarmati Central jail, along with other 15 accused cops in connection with the case.

Sohrabuddin and his wife Kausar Bi were killed in an alleged fake encounter in 2005. (ANI)